


"Why did you leave me behind?" "I did- I didn't know"

by Bluez2776



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Death, Fluff, Gen, Same Story, Season/Series 12, Two Endings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-04
Updated: 2015-06-04
Packaged: 2018-04-02 20:03:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4072762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluez2776/pseuds/Bluez2776
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>York regretted it immediately.<br/>York should have stayed in his suit and died.<br/>York didn't think that coming back would ever lead him to this.<br/>York didn't think he would ever have to see the man he so intimately knew so broken.</p><p>or</p><p>York comes back to find that Wash is immeasurably broken.</p><p>(there are two endings to the same story, both sad and happy, the first of the happier mention, the second of the death of a long lost friend, it actually pretty brutal so if your not into that it's cool just read the first one, but if you want a lot of sad and maybe some tears go for the second, or read both i wont mind)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. (Way One) Dreams Don't Turn To Dust

**Author's Note:**

> so the story will cut at one point and that's where you'll go to get to the endings.
> 
> I would almost recommend reading the second one first so the happy ending will make you feel better.
> 
> please comment with reactions though I would absolutely love reading them.

York regretted it immediately.   
York should have stayed in his suit and died.   
York didn't think that coming back would ever lead him to this.  
York didn't think he would ever have to see the man he so intimately knew so broken.

So different so absolutely foreign that York almost didn't recognize him. Wash had been scarred and broken so many times. York understood now what he did. What he did and why he did were so important. Saving delta, saving alpha, and trying to save the project and the people in it. York knew what he did was for the greater good. The feeling of restlessness and the chills he would get after coming back from missions. The way delta would almost short out when ever he passed a wall that seemed to much like a door under the right lighting, and the way the Director would treat his daughter never sat right with him. York left because it was the right thing to do, York left because he though he was doing the right thing then.

But to see the bright eyed rookie, so broken because of it was never, NEVER! Supposed to happen. The way Wash looked him wasn't happy, it wasn't a smile that adorned his face, or the huge hug the past freelancer was expecting .

(ALRIGHT SO THE SPLIT STARTS HERE YOU CAN EITHER CONTINUE READING THIS CHAPTER OR MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE THAT WILL BE A CONTINUATION OF THE ABOVE POINT, THERE ARE TWO ENDINGS TO THIS STORY THIS ONE HAPPY THE OTHER IS HORRENDOUSLY SAD AND IS ALSO WHERE THE CHARACTER DEATH IS) 

Wash was mad, Wash was mad and angry and all other words that could describe rage. He immediately threw a punch, then another, than another. Wash Doesn't know how he got on top of the other man. He doesn't know when he started crying either. Nor does he know when he stopped punching and started sobbing. York looked a little bruised and a little red around the edges but it wasn't anything to bad. York understood, this wasn't how everything was supposed to go down, Nor was this how it was supposed to happen. 

York held Wash's fist aimed for his faced until he pulled them back. Wash took off his helmet, and with his helmet off came the new scars that adorned his face. York was devastated, the new scars were many, as if he was hit in the face more often than not. The eyes that looked into his own were tired and glassy. His face pale and worn. His hair worn and grey on the sides where it used to be a vibrant yellow. York's hair wasn't fairing much better, but it was obvious that the only reason Wash's hair was grey was stress. The freckles that adorned his face still looked good. The youthful light was long gone though, and he didn't carry the same care free attitude with him anymore. It was painful to York, so very painful to see him so ruined, so broken beyond measure. Wash was in full hysterics now, crying on top of the 'dead' freelancer. Wash was rubbing the tears away while swatting at York's chest. York wasn't going to deny him that, he knows he should have come back sooner, made a better effort. He could only do so much. He was only one man, be it a very attractive man. 

York had managed the new armor by chance, some poor sap had left it out and York stole it right from under his nose. York had spent hours trying to find the right color, being out of armor was a horrible feeling after being in it for so long. 

~~~

York knew the meta was after them, Delta begged, begged and pleaded with him to leave him behind, it took everything York had to leave him. York knew that Delta would be fine, the Meta didn't kill the Ai. Delta had informed him many times over however that he could never bear to see him dead as well. York had never regretted something so much till right now, York lost a big part of himself that day to put it lightly.

~~~

York had been with them for two weeks now, Tucker had hit him multiple times upon meeting him, York liked him a lot once he stopped hitting him though. Caboose took a shining immediately. Simmons was fun to teach about tech. Grif was fun to lounge with, also he had the best food stash that was super easy to bust into. Sarge... immediately decided that York was red team material and was to be put on red team asap. Wash, hasn't talked to him much, but York knows he'll come around he just needs his time.

~~~

Missions were so much fun, everything seemed light, fun, and easy. Everything about the Reds and Blues were easy. York thinks he could get used to it here.

~~~

Wash was still sulking, which was understandable. York knew he should give him his space, let him breathe. York was also not willing to wait any longer and he just might have made Wash a 'little' angry, just a little though.

"YOU MEAN TO TELL ME, THAT NOT ONLY WERE YOU ALIVE AND WELL THE WHOLE TIME! THAT YOU NEVER THOUGHT TO INFORM ANYONE ELSE ABOUT IT!"

"Well the Meta-"

"I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT"

"Then what are yo-"

"YOU LEFT ME BEHIND"

"Wash what I..."

"YOU KNEW EXACTLY WHERE I WAS! AND YOU NEVER ONCE THOUGHT TO COME BACK FOR ME!!!"

"Wash its not like that"

"NO YORK IT'S VERY LIKE THAT! YOU KNEW EXACTLY WHERE I WAS, YOU KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE DOING TO ME!"

"Wash I di-"

"WHILE YOU WERE RUNNING AROUND DID YOU EVER EVEN THINK OF ME"

"Of course wash I just"

"YOU JUST WHAT YORK"

"I'm so sorry Wash"

"SORRY ISN'T GOING TO FIX THIS YORK! EVERYONE LEFT ME BEHIND! SEVEN YEARS YORK! SEVEN YEARS! WITH TORTURE AND PAIN AND EVERYONE LEFT ME BEHIND"

"We thought you were getting help"

"HELP FROM THE 'BIG EVIL CORPORATION' "

"WHAT DID YOU WANT US TO DO WASH, DROP EVERYTHING TO COME SAVE YOU?"

"YES!" Wash lets out a sob, and York feels nothing but bad. York takes him in his arms, and hold him as he cries.

"I'm sorry Wash, we didn't... know how to handle you. It wasn't that we wanted to leave you behind, but we couldn't take you with us"

"What am I to you York? Was I nothing more than something expendable, something so easily left behind"

"No, No, No, Wash you mean the world to me, and I know my sorrys will never make up for what i did to you. I mean it so much Wash I'm so absolutely sorry.

Wash continued sobbing, but York knew it meant the world to finally have that piece of his puzzle solved, and York would do whatever it took to get him back to normal.

~~~

"First you and now Carolina, Wonder who else is just gonna pop up out of nowhere" Wash says offhandedly eating a turkey sandwich. Wash and York had taken to eating lunch on top of blue base, The height made Wash feel free and York enjoyed the breeze.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing I didn't say anything"

"Seriously Wash what did you say!"

"She's alive York" Wash sighs even as he says it.

"WHERE IS SHE?!? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!?!"

"Because I knew you would act like that"

"WASH WHERE IS SHE"

"We don't know York, she ran off not long ago and we haven't seen her since"

"I knew she made it" Wash remembers that smile, it was the one he used when he used to watch Carolina after a successful mission. Sometimes, he thought he looked prouder of her than even she felt.

~~~

The first time he saw the blue armor it was heaven. His hope rising because it had been with Wash, and if she was anywhere it would be with him. Turns out it was actually Tucker that time, but after talking to Wash he was sure he would see her again. He always knew he was going to see her again though. 

This was not what he expected, the once unique helmet was replaced by another one, her leg bleeding from a stab wound from someone he didn't know. She was beautiful, swearing up a storm as the doctor patched her leg up. She looked up when he approached, her face sweaty from fighting, grime from the armor, and a ugly sneer from her face.

"Is this some kind of prank?" Her lip upturned to let out a low growl. The look on her face could kill.

York does the only thing that he thinks won't get him killed, he takes off his helmet.

"I missed you Carolina" She gasps, asks him if he's really real. He smiles like he did back in basic, something that was just theirs.

She gets up and hugs him, kisses him quickly. It was the sweetest thing York had ever felt... Until she punched him of course. 

"I missed you to York"


	2. Dreams Do Turn To Dust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Get your tissues ready? I guess? I am not the right judge for this sad stuff.

(PLEASE DO REMEMBER THAT YOU DO HAVE TO READ SOME OF THE FIRST CHAPTER, YOU MUST GET TO THE SPLIT TO CONTINUE UNLESS YOUR A REBEL OR SOMETHING I GUESS, THEN ALL THE MORE POWER TO YOU IDC)

The pistol shoot rang in his ears as he fell to the ground. York's hands still in their non threatening position as he fell. Delta might have been gone, long gone for that matter, but York still could tell as soon as the bullet hit his skull how much blood he had lost, where exactly it hit him, and how long he would get to live before he bleed out on the small planet. York did get to catch his face one last time, Wash had pulled his helmet off almost as soon as he had dropped the pistol. The blood loss was much, and it started running down his face. Helmet discarded long ago to prove it wasn't a harsh prank by who ever was still alive, though York would still bet that Carolina was still out there somewhere. York got to see his tears as they fell, along with hearing something jumbled about being so sorry. This is not what York had been expecting when he wanted to reveal himself. York had expected a punch, maybe two. York was not expecting the battle worn and clearly abused man in front of him. Nor was he expecting the excessive bags under his eyes or the overall pale complexion that adorned the once carefree mans face. York could always find something pleasant in something painful or dangerous, but this he thought, was to much even for him. In his final moments, he thought he deserved nothing better for not taking care of the man he had sworn to protect on that one hazy mission. York had only promised it to him for that mission, just the one. 

 

The jackals were out with their beam rifles, the exceptionally heavy fog didn't help, nor did the fact that north wasn't there to snipe them back. Wash was terrified, York swore the rookie was about to cry and give up right there and then. Wash was shot in the shoulder, and York in the leg. It wasn't a pretty situation, and with another drop ship on its way it wasn't looking good for either of them. Wash was still whimpering when York had turned away while another light blue shot of energy shot just inches from his head. Wash said the one thing York really didn't need to hear. The quiet "were not gonna make it" while the rookie stared through the missing glass on his visor, was not contributing to the conversation. But in an act to either console himself or console Wash , as he still really wasn't sure, he had sworn that they would make it out together, that everything would be ok, and that they would make it home again. Wash looked better after that, York could see the light return to his eyes with new determination. York could see the hud update with the new hostiles being dropped off and bright blue illuminated his face as the searing visor still somewhat glowed with a shot that hit just a little to close to home. York wasn't sure if they were ever going to make it out to be honest. Evac was far off and York only had a few shot gun shells and a lob grenade left, and he couldn't run on his leg, how they got out alive is still a mystery to York.

 

York knew that promise stood for that one time only, just to get them out of New Mombasa. York held onto it though, convinced the Director to stick Maine to wash's hide, not that Maine minded though, York thinks he had a similar set up, Maine knows York has good luck and York knows that Maine can keep him safe. York tried to stay at Wash's side the best he can, play it off whenever he asked. York also knows that when he doesn't have Wash's back, Maine surely does. When Wash was put with someone else, and Wash got a little to hurt, York and Maine tended to go a 'little' harder on them in the training room. York knows that Maine cared just as much for Wash as he did, even if they didn't get along well, and they both took to watching out for him. Though neither knew why they did.

 

York was fine dying to these memories. He would rather remember the good times than remember he had failed his promise. 

When York feel so did his pride.

And he apologized.

The last thing he heard was Wash crying.

The last thing he saw was that aqua? turquoise? sea-foam green? armor, running up behind Wash, and he only wished he could have lived a little longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i spent like... five hours writing all of this
> 
> writing is tough, but fun
> 
> but man if it isn't work

**Author's Note:**

> I feel as if I even butcher my own prompts
> 
> *shrugs*


End file.
